


Corn

by BibiannaOddey1850



Series: Aurora Van der Linde Drabbles [7]
Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Aurora more so, Cutesy, Gen, John is adorable, Sibling Bonding, Sweetie the Pony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 02:39:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17337125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BibiannaOddey1850/pseuds/BibiannaOddey1850
Summary: Taking care of Aurora was difficult.John Marston had to learn it the hard way.





	Corn

"Ugh, Rory, you're quite hefty for someone who's only three and a half years old," said John Marston.

Earlier that day, he was asked to babysit Aurora while Arthur went away on a special job. Like a leech, the little girl had attached herself to his leg the entire time he readied his horse. Thankfully, she wasn't sobbing; but her quietness towards Arthur's departure had John and the others worrying a bit. It was quite obvious that she was more closer to Arthur than her own father, much to Dutch's indignation.

"Rory, you gotta let go," Arthur muttered to the girl. She shook her head at him. "Rory, come on, we've done this a couple times before, it ain't no different."

"No," she replied at last. "Athu, stay!"

"Rory, I ain't a dog that you can just—"

"Stay!"

Arthur let out a deep sigh. He looked to Hosea and Dutch for help; the two men came over to wrestle the girl from Arthur's leg. And that's when she cried. Hosea was quick to call John and told him to fetch the harness from Dutch's tent. The boy did so in a haste, but he was not expecting the older man to tie the rabid girl onto his back. Upon feeling the pure warmth of another human being, Aurora instantly calmed down and was reduced to sniffles.

"Now, I won't be gone for too long. It's just a couple of weeks," Arthur told John. "I'll be sure to bring back something for the kid."

At that, John immediately perked up.

"I meant Rory," he corrected. He then mounted his horse, and after taking a final look at Aurora, Arthur Morgan rode off through the trees, until he could no longer be seen.

"This is the absolute worse thing that could've happened to me," John mumbled as he rode on Sweetie, the solid white Shetland Pony belonging to Aurora. The said girl was peering over his shoulder, observing the landscape of Illinois.

Since John was now on baby duties, Dutch entreated him to take Aurora out on an outing, much like Arthur did whenever the baby was upset. There was no real destination in mind, only that the baby should be calm by the time they return to camp. Bessie had given them a satchel packed with milk biscuits, nuts, and slices of cornbread, as well as a full waterskin.

"You good back there?" John inquired her.

"Hungy," she answered.

"Of course, you are."

They stopped by a small pond, where John let Sweetie graze on the grass while he set Aurora down on the ground, and then enclosed her within a circle made of rocks. He gave her a handful of milk biscuits to maul on; she excitedly reached out to have them. Once contented, John walked over to a tree and sat down to read Gulliver's Travels.

Before long, he heard the shrill screams of Aurora.

John quickly got on his feet, and saw that the girl was knee-deep in the pond, with Sweetie playing alongside her. The twelve year old soon wrangled the toddler and the chubby horse out of the water, and went on their way. As they treaded through the northern countryside, John felt Aurora struggling in her harness.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Con!" she exclaimed. John followed her chubby finger and saw a vast cornfield not too far from the main road.

"You already had milk biscuits," he whined. But then, the girl began to kick wildly, and the beginnings of a conniption were evident on her face. "Fine! We'll get you some corn!"

A long wooden fence served as a perimeter around the field. John quickly dismounted Sweetie and intruded into the farmland, with Aurora letting out quiet giggles from the jolting movements. The corn was ripe for the picking; he made use of his knife and began to collect the produce, handing a particularly large one to the girl behind him.

"Thanks, Janni!"

"You're welcome, Ree."

As he stashed a few more maize into his satchel, he heard the bark of a dog echoing throughout the cornfield. Aurora struggled in her harness again, and John knew it was time to leave.

He ran; the girl on his back was shouting "Doggie! Doggie! Doggie!"

"I am aware, Aurora!" And yet he still chose to look back: the dog was a mastiff type; devilish in looks and actions. He felt his heart drop when he saw a second one right behind the first.

John struggled to get over the fence, but he was able to make it. Sweetie galloped over to him as quickly as her stunted legs could allow. He then saddled up; Aurora let out wild bursts of laughter as they promptly bolted away from the farm hand and his guard dogs.

When they returned to the camp, the rush of excitement finally left them, and was replaced by feebleness. Hosea and Dutch stood at the edge of the encampment, waiting; however, they were surprised to see both John and Aurora were sound asleep while riding Sweetie. The men quietly laughed and carried the children to a vacant tent, where they slept until early afternoon.

"...Why is there a handful of corn in John's satchel?" Hosea asked, turning to Dutch.

The said man merely shrugged his shoulders before lighting his Cuban.

**Author's Note:**

> Sweetie the Pony is a chubby horse, pass it on.


End file.
